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| Monday, Apr 28, 2003 |
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Posted on April 27, 2003 Croft puts adventure in race
Racers from around the region came to Croft State Park Saturday for a competition that included everything from running and mountain biking to popping balloons and solving puzzles. They were here for the Carolina Challenge Sprint Adventure Race, a multifaceted athletic event that was the first of its kind in Spartanburg County. Some 180 racers from South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia -- along with a handful from Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey -- competed, both individually and as three-member teams. This race was the first in a series of five such events to be held this year in South Carolina and North Carolina. Adventure racing is a relatively new sport that combines athletic and mental challenges. Racers at Croft State Park tackled trail running, orienteering, paddling and mountain biking. Along the way, they also had to solve a word puzzle, blow up and pop a balloon and navigate blindfolded through a wooded area. Competitors said these tasks added a whole new dimension to a physically demanding event. Mark Pitman of Duncan, a first-time adventure racer who participated in honor of his 40th birthday, said the word puzzle was the toughest mental challenge. "You're like, physical, physical, physical trying to get through, then you say, 'God, I've got to take a test?' " Pitman said. Carol Brunson of Spartanburg, who competed along with her husband, Bubba, agreed. "There are so many obstacles and you have to use all your brainpower and willpower to get through it," she said. This variety creates an additional challenge to adventure races. The Croft State Park event was considered a beginner-level race. But other events, including the Eco-Challenge, an elite international race, require participants to do everything from rock climbing to horseback riding, sometimes over a span of several days. "It blows triathlons out of the water," said Dave Degenhart of Charlotte, N.C., founder of Radical Adventures, the group producing the Carolina Challenge race series. For this race, Degenhart worked in conjunction with Drew Wilson and Richard Ridlehuber, friends and Milliken & Co. coworkers who planned and designed the course at Croft. Degenhart said adventure racing is catching on quickly. Two years ago there were only 100 such events nationwide, last year there were 200 and this year 400 are planned. "It's the hottest sport, the fastest-growing sport in America," Degenhart said. "I think everybody wants a mini-adventure." Susan Orr can be reached at 877-3225, 574-5980 or susan.orr |
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